Srinagar, July 11: While there is huge gap between the two knocks when numbers are counted but still former Pakistan spinner Saqlain Mushtaq has ranked Sachin Tendulkar’s Chennai knock of 136 runs against Pakistan much higher than the India’s first Triple hundred scored by Virender Sehwag in Multan against same opposition.
Both the innings scored by two legends are considered at important ones in the history of Indian cricket. But Saqlain ranks Tendulkar’s inning better and said that it was easy to score on that wicket which saw Sehwag making history.
“I rate the 130 odd runs that Sachin Tendulkar scored in the 2nd innings in the Chennai Test match ahead of the triple century scored by Virender Sehwag. Because we had gone with full preparation that time. It was a fight, there was a battle,” Saqlain said on the Cricket Baaz talk show on YouTube.
“Here (Multan 2004), there was no fight or battle. And it was the 1st innings of the Test match, not the 2nd innings. It was the 1st innings, first day pitch, no preparation. Some good deeds of his parents or his own good deeds worked for him, ” He said.
Saqlain said that it was tailor made situation for player like Sehwag to score triple hundred in that Multan test.
“I feel it was a tailor-made situation for him. Nature was kind on him. I am not saying that he is not a good player, he is a great player, he is a very good player. Not because I was injured and Shoaib Akhtar was also injured, wicket was flat, conditions were tough for the bowlers, the whole bowling unit had collapsed. There were issues in the Board, Inzamam was accidently made the captain, someone else was the captain,” Saqlain pointed out.
“Lot of things were changing, the mind was not set, focus was not there, the preparations were not good. When you have the Ashes, they prepare for that for one year. We were having a series against India and we had no planning, no preparation. Sehwag is a very destructive attacking player but I won’t rate that triple hundred. I will say that nature has given that to him on a platter. He has played lot of good knocks. You enjoy when you have prepared well and the bowling unit is working fine and conditions are tough for the batsmen.” (with inputs from HT Sports)